Stories from Monday, November 10, 2003

Shelves of area food pantries nearly bare(11/10/03)WANT TO HELP? Canned or food items can be dropped off at the FISH offices, 106 S. Sprigg St., between 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday. Call 334-0207. Monetary donations can be mailed to FISH at P.O. Box 327; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702...

Jackson may let billboard firms expand(11/10/03)Major changes to billboard and cellular phone tower regulations may be on the way in Jackson. At tonight's study session, the Jackson Board of Aldermen will discuss the final third of a 138-page planning and zoning document that lays out several changes in what will and won't be allowed in Jackson...

Community cuisine 11/10/03(11/10/03)Fish, chicken supper to be held in Bell City A fish and chicken supper will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Bell City Community Building on Route N. The menu is fish, chicken, hush puppies, potato salad, dessert and beverages. Call 733-4551 for more information...

Community briefs 11/10/03(11/10/03)Motorcycle to benefit Kenny Rogers center Minor's Harley-Davidson of Cape Girardeau recently celebrated the grand opening of its new location on Interstate 55 by presenting the Kenny Rogers Children's Center with keys to a 2004 Harley-Davidson V-Rod. The motorcycle will be raffled off...

Scout food drive starts Saturday(11/10/03)The 19th annual Scouting For Food Drive begins Saturday, when residents will find plastic bags secured to their doorknobs in hope of a gift for the needy the following week. On Nov. 22, Boy Scouts will return to pick up the filled bags. Within 48 hours, the first donations will be on food pantry shelves, ready to feed the hungry...

Decorated chairs to raise money for art events(11/10/03)The Jackson Area Arts Council will hold a reception and auction at 3 p.m. Sunday, when a variety of creatively embellished chairs will be available for purchase. The event will be held at Tracey's Place, 127 W. Main, Jackson, across from city hall...

Military digest 11/10/03(11/10/03)Marine returns from time on USS Iwo Jima Marine Corps Pfc. Eric A. Beard, a 2000 graduate of Kelly High School in Benton, Mo., recently returned from an eight-month deployment onboard the USS Iwo Jima, while assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Camp Lejeune, N.C...

Woman attends model legislative session(11/10/03)St Louis Cardinals Donate to Kenny Rogers CenterSoutheast Missourian Loretta Schneider of Cape Girardeau, first vice president of the board of directors and chairwoman for the Southeast Missouri Area Agency of the Silver Haired Legislature, recently attended a model legislative session at Jefferson City. Schneider, who has served for three years, first read about SHL in the Southeast Missourian and decided to follow up on it...

United Way to provide grant research services(11/10/03)Those seeking grant funding now have several new resources. The Area Wide United Way has provided funding for access to the Foundation Directory Online. This service allows an organization to search 20,000 U.S. foundations and over 250,000 grants. The Area Wide United Way has a computer workstation at its office with access to the online version of the Foundation Directory. This is so organizations can access the service at a location without distractions...

Cape, Southeast look to widen Broadway(11/10/03)Broadway cuts a wide path from Kingshighway to Perry Avenue. But eastward it narrows to a two-lane street jammed with cars and pickup trucks carrying students, staff and visitors to and from the Southeast Missouri State University campus. City officials hope to ease traffic congestion with a wider street, but business owners worry that the construction work itself will be a major road block for customers...

State probing tax breaks to 'phantom' firms(11/10/03)ST LOUIS -- The state is investigating whether it wrongly has been awarding special tax credits to "phantom" businesses that have no employees, listed addresses, working phone numbers or Web sites. The Rebuilding Communities program is supposed to draw high-tech companies to poor areas by helping them buy specialized equipment, including computers and medical laboratory devices...

17 illegal immigrants in pickup involved in St. Clair wreck(11/10/03)ST. CLAIR, Mo. (AP) -- Seventeen illegal immigrants were in a pickup truck involved in an accident on Interstate 44 in eastern Missouri, authorities said. The accident happened shortly after 8:30 a.m. Sunday near St. Clair, about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis. Those in the pickup will be turned over to Homeland Security, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said...

Federal government fails to warn public about Hepatitis C(11/10/03)KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Despite repeated promises, the federal government has failed to warn Americans about the potential dangers of hepatitis C, a virus that infects millions and kills thousands every year. The Kansas City Star reported Sunday that nearly every public education campaign about the virus has sputtered, with the government often citing a lack of money as the reason...

Driver killed when tanker overturns(11/10/03)KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Authorities identified a driver who was killed when his tractor-trailer loaded with gasoline overturned and burned Saturday evening. Randy Costales, 35, of Excelsior Springs, was pronounced dead at a hospital, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said...

Veterans await memorial on National Mall(11/10/03)WASHINGTON -- Tears and pride mix as Navy veteran Ted Burke talks about the National World War II Memorial and its significance as a reminder of the sacrifices he and millions of others made. Recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the 83-year-old former torpedoman has made it his life's goal to make it to the Memorial Day weekend dedication on the National Mall...

Some states canceling presidential primaries(11/10/03)Several states have moved to drop their presidential primaries next year, worried about costs in still-tight financial times and wondering if the political exercise would serve any purpose. Some say they can't afford the millions of dollars it costs to put on an election. Others say the decisions reflect the lopsided nature of modern primaries: The front-runner gets anointed by the media and campaign donors after the first few state primaries and the rest of the primaries are formalities...

Nation briefs 11/10/03(11/10/03)Gas prices drop, down 4.33 cents over two weeks CAMARILLO, Calif. -- Retail gas prices dropped more than 4 cents per gallon in the past two weeks, but a slight recovery in the crude oil market could slow or reverse recent price declines, according to a nationwide industry survey released Sunday...

Government prepares to allow transfer of phone numbers(11/10/03)WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators are letting people keep their cell phone numbers when they switch wireless companies after Nov. 24 and probably will do the same for home phone customers opting for wireless-only service. The government is responding to pleas by customers reluctant to make a change because doing so has meant the loss of phone numbers known by friends, relatives and business associates...

Gore criticizes Bush's 'big brother' government(11/10/03)WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Al Gore accused President Bush on Sunday of failing to make the country safer after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and using the war against terrorism as a pretext to consolidate power. "They have taken us much farther down the road toward an intrusive, 'big brother'-style government -- toward the dangers prophesied by George Orwell in his book '1984' -- than anyone ever thought would be possible in the United States of America," Gore charged...

Ambassador says Western music affected politics in Hungary(11/10/03)CLEVELAND -- Rock music played lead in giving Hungarian baby boomers the resolve to bring down their communist state, says one of those reformers who today is a government official. Andras Simonyi, Hungary's ambassador to the United States, spent an hour Saturday night discussing the impact of Western songs on Eastern European politics before an audience of 250 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

People talk 11/10/03(11/10/03)Cash honored for inspiring next generation NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The lineup for today's Johnny Cash tribute concert says a lot about the late singer's place in popular music. He inspired rockers Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow and John Mellencamp as well as twangers George Jones, Willie Nelson and Brooks & Dunn...

Doctors often fail to give standard treatment for heart failure(11/10/03)ORLANDO, Fla. -- Doctors have known for a decade that drugs called ACE inhibitors are a cornerstone of care for congestive heart failure, yet a nationwide survey released Sunday shows that nearly one-third of patients are sent home from the hospital without this lifesaving treatment...

World briefs 11/10/03(11/10/03)Miss Afghanistan wins 'beauty for a cause' award MANILA, Philippines -- Miss Afghanistan Vida Samadzai, condemned in her homeland for parading in a bikini at the Miss Earth contest, won the pageant's first "beauty for a cause" award on Sunday. The 23-year-old Samadzai, the first Afghan in three decades to take part in a beauty contest, failed to make it to the contest's semifinals...

Saudi attacks seen as threat to monarchy(11/10/03)RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudis blamed al-Qaida militants Sunday for the suicide car bombing of a Riyadh housing complex, declaring it proof of the terror network's willingness to shed Muslim blood in its zeal to bring down the U.S.-linked Saudi monarchy...

Iraq's firebrand cleric tones down rhetoric(11/10/03)KUFA, Iraq -- A Shiite Muslim firebrand who has been a thorn in the side of Iraq's American administrators is showing a more conciliatory side. Gone is the talk of setting up a rival government and the denunciations of rivals. Now he says Saddam Hussein -- not America -- is the enemy of Iraqis...

Prize recruit Brown gives Otahkians an inside force(11/10/03)Chandra Brown was recruited by several upper-level Division I basketball programs, including hometown Louisville, yet she chose Southeast Missouri State University. Brown, a 6-foot-3 center who was a second-team junior-college All-American last season, believes Southeast second-year coach B.J. Smith is building the type of program she was eager to be a part of...

Rams' defense steps forward in 33-22 win over Ravens(11/10/03)By R.B. Fallstrom ~ The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams' defense bailed out an inept offense Sunday night. The Rams forced seven turnovers and knocked rookie quarterback Kyle Boller out of the game in a 33-22 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. That performance covered up for a suddenly incompetent offense that had been ranked No. 1 in the NFL...

Campbell's 1st PGA Tour victory leaves debate open(11/10/03)HOUSTON -- The only thing the Tour Championship settled was what everyone knew all along: Chad Campbell has the game to beat the best. Campbell became the first player to make the Tour Championship his first victory, closing with a 3-under 68 on Sunday to break a tournament scoring record in the PGA Tour's version of the All-Star game...

Kenseth claims season title at Pop Secret 400(11/10/03)ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- Matt Kenseth earned his first Winston Cup championship Sunday with a fourth-place finish at North Carolina Speedway. Bill Elliott won the Pop Secret Popcorn 400 while Kenseth, who has led the points since the fourth race of the season, wrapped up the first Cup title for car owner Jack Roush with one race remaining...

If you're holding Edmonds, it's time to sell, sell, sell(11/10/03)If the Cardinals' Jim Edmonds was a stock, it would be peaking right now. Edmonds has achieved four Gold Gloves in a row and has had career highs in offense over the past three years. He was the best all-around center fielder in baseball last year. Boys and girls, don't get too hung up on him, because what goes up always (and I mean always) comes down...

A 20-year-old transient suspected in the death last week of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson was arrested Saturday on Indian land east of Phoenix. Two other men, half brothers, were already being held in connection with the case, one charged with possession of stolen property and the other held on suspicion of robbery, kidnapping and homicide. ...

Jackson bakery to be part of strip mall(11/10/03)When that infamous Jackson twister wreaked havoc last May, it toppled two of the four walls of Meyer's Bakery at 404 S. Hope. It ripped the roof off. The sign was blown to a parking lot a block away. It was a complete loss. But the damage could have been worse. It could have destroyed the spirits of owners Brian and Connie Meyer. They didn't let that happen, though Connie said they took it hard...

Some firms get boost from political campaigns(11/10/03)With the 2004 elections less than a year away, political campaigns around the country represent a great opportunity for small businesses. Working with a political campaign can give a small company quite a boost, bringing in cash on a short-term basis, and also enabling it to make contacts and win future business beyond the campaign itself. ...

Retailers report modest gains in October(11/10/03)NEW YORK -- After several months of robust spending, consumers took a break in October, giving retailers only a modest uptick in business. Warm weather curtailed sales at clothing retailers, but some analysts said the industry's overall improved sales trend was still in place...

New hybrid cars gaining steam in the marketplace(11/10/03)When Soskin Toyota rolls out the new Prius this week, it will become the second Cape Girardeau dealership, along with Wieser Honda, to offer a so-called hybrid car. But, if all the hype is correct, it won't be the last. Industry experts are already calling the superefficient automobile that combines electric engines and gas motors the next generation of automobile...

People on the move 11/10/03(11/10/03)Real estate agent goes to Midwest-Japan meeting Thomas M. Meyer, president of Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co., attended the 35th annual joint meeting of the Midwest U.S.-Japan and Japan-Midwest U.S. Associations held in Chicago. The meeting was attended by more than 400 representatives from the Midwest and Japan. The main theme was "new technologies," including discussions on many partnership opportunities emerging from Japanese and American companies and universities...

Business memo 11/10/03(11/10/03)Old Town Cape picks bridge for '03 ornament Old Town Cape has selected the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge as its 2003 ornament. The bridge ornaments went on sale Saturday at 19 locations throughout the Old Town Cape district. Ornaments sell for $20 without a stand and $25 with a stand...

Dora Poole(11/10/03)Dora Helen Poole, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 7, 2003, at Heartland Care and Rehabilitation in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 14, 1923, at Cape Girardeau, daughter of Willard and Pearle Pate Moore. Poole was a lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau. She worked as a health-care aide for the elderly in their homes before retiring in 1994...

Charles Schweain(11/10/03)Charles "Tommy" Schw-eain, 59, of Jackson died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at his residence.
Arrangements are incomplete under the direction of McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Linda Moore(11/10/03)CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Linda Gale Moore, 57, of Chaffee, died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at her family residence. She was born Sept. 15, 1946, at St. Louis, daughter of Charles and Lucille French Clark. She and Max Moore were married July 26, 1988...

Olga Bodenschatz(11/10/03)Olga A. Bodenschatz, 92, of Shawneetown, died Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 9, 1911, at New Wells, Mo., daughter of Adolph and Louisa Jahn Thauwald. She and Walter E. Bodenschatz were married Feb. 26, 1933 at New Wells. He died on July 18, 1979...

Lillie Johnson(11/10/03)MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Lillie Marie Johnson, 75, of Marble Hill died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 13, 1928, daughter of Jesse and Gussie Kellerman Barks. She and Arvie "Buck" Johnson were married April 10, 1945...

Mike Blattel(11/10/03)NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Mike Blattel, 85, of New Hamburg died Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girar-deau. He was born Oct. 15, 1918, at New Hamburg, son of Antone and Regina Diebold Blattel. He and Mary Ann Schulte were married Nov. 26, 1944. She died on Nov. 2, 1995...

Mary Smith(11/10/03)Mary Hazel Smith, 75, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Delta, Mo., died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 18, 1928, at Cape Girardeau, daughter of Weston and Lena Goodwin Henderson. She and Levi Smith Jr. were married Feb. 28, 1946. He died on July 21, 1996...

Cairo police probe shooting, stabbing(11/10/03)CAIRO, Ill. -- Police are investigating a shooting and stabbing that occurred early Sunday at McBride Housing in Cairo. According to the Cairo Police Department, officers responded to a report of a shooting at about 3:18 a.m. Sunday. One male had been shot and another male had been stabbed. Both were hospitalized...

Benton teenager hurt in accident near Morley(11/10/03)A Benton, Mo., teenager was injured Sunday morning in a one-car accident, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Justin Patrick, 16, was a passenger in a car driven by Stephen Cruz, also 16. Cruz failed to negotiate a curve on Scott County Road 431, one-half mile south of Morley, Mo., and his vehicle overturned...

Cape fire report 11/10/03(11/10/03)Cape Girardeau Monday, Nov. 10 Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: At 5:46 p.m., an illegal burn at Hawthorne and East Rodney. At 10:17 p.m., a request for medical assistance at 1505 E. Riverside. Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

Out of the past 11/10/03(11/10/03)10 years ago: Nov. 10, 1993 Drop in enrollment at Southeast Missouri State University this fall will result in $500,000 to $600,000 shortfall in tuition revenue, school officials say. Cape Girardeau City Councilman Melvin Gateley is first officially to declare his candidacy for mayor's race next spring...

Scott County water(11/10/03)For those who have it, access to good drinking water is taken for granted. You pick out a glass, turn on the tap and enjoy. For those who don't, it's a constant concern. Some Scott County leaders would like to put more residents in the first category. ...

Fighting crime(11/10/03)Few not-for-profit programs can claim the success CrimeStoppers has had. The system is simple: Collect donations, offer those rewards for information about crime and criminals and pay out when the information leads to prosecution. And it is working all over the world...

Speak Out 11/10/03(11/10/03)Cairo's finances DON'T BE fooled by what you see on television these days. Cairo had hundreds of thousands of dollars in resources readily available to make payroll last week. Council members had no say when the mayor snatched a city check and set up a $50,000 account outside the county without their knowledge or consent. ...